System for preventing collisions, accidents, &amp;c., by railway-trains.



PATENTED MAR 1,- 19 04.

F. SCHMITT. SYSTEM FOR PREVENTING COLLISION-S, ACCIDENTS, &o., BY

RAILWAY TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.14, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

.fiwntar: Fmzk 66112222216,

, UNITED STATES Patented March 1, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

SYSTEM FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS, ACCIDENTS, &c., BY RAILWAY-TRAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 753,636, dated March 1,1904. Application filed October 14, 1903. .Serial No. 176,936-(No'modeL) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK SoHMIT'r, a subject of the Emperor ofAustria-Hungary, residing at Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Systems for PreventingCollisions, Injury by the Falling in of Bridges, or the Running Over ofPersons and Cattle, &c., by Railway-Trains, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in systems forpreventing collisions, injury by the falling in of bridges, or therunning over of persons and cattle, &c., by railway-trains, and has forits object to providea device of this description which will travel aconsiderable distance ahead of the train and notify the engineerelectrically when ever it comes in contact with a resisting-body.

With these ends in View this invention consists in the details ofconstruction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and thenspecifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to make and use the same, the constructionand operation will now'be described in detail, referring to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which'Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of two locomotives having myimprovement applied thereto; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the device, themiddle of the same being broken away; Fig. 3, a similar View to Fig.2,showing the device partially closed; Fig. 4, a plan View of the forwardtruck of the device.

This device consists, essentially, in a folding framework known as alazy-tongs and represented by the letter A. The rearward end of thisframework is connected to a lever B and a slot-bar C. The lever isconnected, by a link D, with a suitable motor in the locomotive, and bypulling rearward upon this lever the framework'can be folded close tothe locomotive, and by pushing forward upon the lever the framework willbe extended, so that the forward end will be a considerable distanceahead of the train. At intervals the framework is supported by trucks E,which are secured to the pivotal ,points of the levers making up theframework. The forward truck is provided with a buffer-bar F, springs Grbeing interposed between the bar and the truck-frame. H represents twocontact-points, one located upon the truck-frame and the other upon thebuffer-bar, so that if the buffer-bar is pressed inward by coming incontact with a resisting-body the contacts will touch one another andestablish an electrical circuit through the wires 1, sounding an alarmwithin the engine.

Thus it will be seen that by the use of my device the engineer may benotified of any obstruction upon the track a considerable time beforethe engine has reached the same, and he will then be able to stop thelocomotive before it reaches the obstruction.

This device would be extremely valuablein foggy weather, dark nights,and upon curves.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction hereshown, as slight modifications could be made without departing from thespirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and usefulis 1. In a device of the character described, a lazy-tongs framework, alever to which the rear members composing the framework are secured, thelower end of said lever being pivoted to the locomotive, means foroperating said lever from the locomotive, the frameworkextending aconsiderable distance ahead of the train, trucks for supporting theframework at intervals, a buffer-bar arranged in front of the forwardtruck, springs interposed between the forward truck and the buffer-bar,electrical contact-points carried by the forward truck and buffer-baradapted to come in contact with one another when an obstacle is struck,electrical wires connected to said contact-points and extending to thecable of the locomotive, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a device of the character described, a folding framework adaptedto be folded close to the locomotive or extended a distance forward ofthe same, trucks supporting said framework at intervals, a lever pivotedto the locomotive to which the rearward members of the framework areconnected so as to operate said framework to fold or extend the same,

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means for operating said lever from the cab of fixed my signature in thepresence of two subthe locomotive, mealns for soiurlding an alarmscribing Witnesses. for operating an in icating evice in the cab of thelocomotive when the forward portion of FRANK SLHMITT' 5 the frameworkstrikes an obstacle, as and for Witnesses:

the purpose specified. MORRIS M. MOSKOWITZ,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto af- H. B. HALLOCK.

